Attachment for reed musical instruments



G. B, HUMES.

ATTACHMENT FOR REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1919.

1,384,564. I Patented July 12, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OF I E-f "GUY B. mums, or CHICAGO, ILLn IoIs.

' ATTACHMENT son REED MUSICALIYINSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. PatehtedrJuly 12, ,1921

-Applicatiomfiledlune 30.1919. Serial No. 307,634.: a I

To (ill whom it may concern Be it known that I, G Y B. HUMEs, a citizen of the United States, and a. residentof the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, have invented a-certain new and useful Attachment for Reed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My. invention relates to an attachment for reed I musical instruments and has for its object theprovision of a device whichnvhen used with reed musical instruments, will produce a discordant and? inharmonious sound, if desired, while; the instrument-is being played in theusualmanner. Other objectswillrappear hereinaften I Figure lisa fragmentary side elevational view of asaxophone' embodying the inven tiomwith parts in section,

Fig.2 is-a transverseseotiona] view taken 'ousubstantially the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. e Fig. 3 is. at fragmentary SidQ/tViGW of'a saxophone embodying the invention. A

Fig. Lisa transverse sectional view taken on substantially line:14 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 5 is a plan. view of my invention.

Fig. 6 is-a-plan View ofa keyopening device.-

-1Fig57 is; a side elevational view of the. device shown in Fig; 6.

In; the drawings I have'represented my ,devicciapp'lied to-a saxophone, but I wish it understood that this device may be'apphed to anyreed musical instrument. Asshown, the saxophoneS-is provided with the usual lever: 9, which is pivotally connected to the tubularportionof the saxophone, as at 10,

and has the I usual finger piece 9". Secured to one end of the lever 9-is a suitable cap 11, which :is used to :close the orifice in the itubu lar portion of the musical instrument, as

will be readilyunderstood The usualstoppost-12 is shown which prevents the outer end) of the lever '9 iIfrom being moved in wardlytoo great a'distance. Provided upon the tubular] portion of the musical instrument', adjacenttheorifice on which the cap 11; seats, is. the; usual bifurcated guide-post-j 13, the lever 9' being adapted to engage"be-Y tween the bifurcated. portions. this guideparts as hereinafter described. This tubu-l larmember'is cut obliquely atthe end-which is to be thrust into the interior of the musical instrument, diagonally,- the longerend ofthis tubular member 16 facing toward the From I mouth of the musical instrument. this construction it is'readily apparentithat the obliquely c'ut edge-of the tubular mem ber .16 inclines away from the mouth ofthe instrument and toward the inner wall there of. The air strikes the' member 16 in its downward passage audit is "forcedvm an.

outward direction through the tubular 1nember 16. Secured on the tubular member16,

by solder; or other S11ltl.l)lB-I1'I'IQ3I1S,lS a disk- 11 kc member 14, having a flange. 15;fo'rm1ng a .cupeshapedzdisk. The zinemberl i 1s pro vided at its center with an opening substantiallythe samesizeas the opening in the tubular 'm'emloer16. The cup-shaped diskis mounted upon the tubul ar member-16 so that the openinglin the portion'15 registers with the iopening'in the tubular: member "16'." The tubular member-16 is .mad'e ofa less' diameter thanthe orifice inthe musical instrument in which it is to be inserted, andsurroundingl the tubular member'lfi, adjacent the inner'zface of the member 15. is: a collar 17 of cork, rubber or other yielding 'material.

- This cork or rubberforms a sort of packing forthememberlG and prevents the passage of {Lil-1011b of the musical instrument around the exterior of the'member IG", as will be readily understood. Mounted within the cup-shaped disk1 so as to lie'upon'the inner surface of themember 14, is a membranous" film 18, formed of-fish skin, oil paper, silk or,

the like. A ring 19isadap ted to be secured in the 'cupshaped disk over said membrane,

this member '19' snugly engaging the inner surface of the flange 15.

As clearly shown in Fig; 2, the member 14 isof a l'argerdiameter than the usual flange. which surrounds the; orifice leading into the interior of the musical instrument; It is evident-that,'upon securingthe member 19 in the cup-shaped disk, the membranous film 18 will be securely: locked inlposition;

In the, use of'thi 5 device, although it "may be appliedto anyof the keys with equal; success, I preferfto apply it"to one of the higher,

and therefore rarely" used, keys; When "the device israppliedwto a musical instrument 11 seats upon as I have described, the ca v the 7 outer'edge of i the device and thereby closes;-rthe 'orificezl'eadin g into the musical ini strument in a similar manner as the orifice is closed when the device is not applied thereto. Inasmuch as the key to which the device is ordinarily applied, is rarely used, it is evident that the instrument may be used in its usual manner. Then it is desired to produce the jazz effect which my invention will produce, it is necessary simply to raise the cap 11 out of engagement with the cup shaped disk.

In order to continue to sound the jazz note it is necessary to retain the cap 11 in this raised position. Inasmuch as this cannot conveniently be done by the one playing the instrument, I have provided a device which maintains the cap in its elevated position.

I have provided a member which consists of an annular portion 20. projecting laterally from one edge of which is a port-ion 21, having one edge thereol beveled or inclined as shown in Fig. 7. Projecting tangentially from one side of the member 20is a suitable handle 22. In assembling my invention upon a musical instrument of this class, the lever 9 bearing the cap 11 is dismounted from its pivotal connection at 10, and the member 20 is slid over the guide post 13 embracing both bifurcated sections thereof, the member 21 projecting outwardly from the musical instrument. The cap raising device is so constructed that, when the lever 9 rests upon the portion 21', the cap 11' will tightly close the orifice leading into the instrument. Upon rotating the member upon the guide-post 13 by means of pressing against the handle 22, the inclined edge of the member 21 is brought into engagement with the lever 9, thereby raising the same. The device is so constructed that the lever 9 may rest upon the portion 21, and thereby the cap 11 would be retained in elevated position. I

lVh'en this device is used'upon a reed musical instrument and the stop-cap 11 is raised therefrom, upon the playing of the instrument in the usual manner the tones thereof are accompanied by a harsh or grating sound, or what is now popularly termed a jazz sound, caused by the vibration of the membranous film.

By use of my device a single instrument .may be caused to produce a jazz effect,

which formerly could be obtained only by playing two or more instruments at the same time. Thc operation of the device pro duces a greater volume of soundthan is pro duced by the instrument when played without the attachment. More than one of such devices may be used on an instrument, it desired. to further increase the volume of sound and intensify the discordant jazz note.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred, form of construction'tor carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit ol the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details oi the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope oi the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is zj 1. A tone modifying attachment for a key opening of a musical instrument; a support in said opening and communicating therewith; a membrane on said support; and means for retaining said membrane in position, substantially as described.

2. A tone modifying attachment for a key opening of a reed musical instrument; a tubular support in said opening and communicating therewith; a. membrane on said support; and means'ior holding said membrane in position, substantially as described.

A tone modifying attachment for a key opening of a reed musical instrument; a tubular support in said key opening and communicating therewith; a diskon said tubular member; an opening in said disk communicating with said tubular member; a membrane over said opening; and a ring for holding said membrane in tially as described.

4:. A tone modifying attachment for a key openingof a iced musical instrument; a tubular support extending through said opening having its inner end obliquely cut, a flanged disk on the outer endof said tubular member; an opening in said flanged disk communicating with said tubular member; a membrane covering said opening; a cork ring engaging the inner walls of the flange on said disk for holding said membrane in position, substantially as described.

5. A tone modifying attachment for a. key opening of a reed musical instrument; a support having a tubular member inserted in said key opening, said tubular member being obliquely cuton its inner end, the longer end of said tubular member facing the mouth of the instrument; a flanged cup-shaped disk on theouter end of said tubular member and integral therewith: an opening in said flanged cup-shaped disk communicating with said tubular member; a fish skin membrane over said opening; and a cork ring engaging theinner wall of said cup-shaped disk to hold said membrane in position, substantially as described.

6. A tone modifying attachment inserted between the key and key opening of a reed musical instrument; a tubular member in said opening; ajflanged disk at the outer end of said tubular member and integral therewith; an opening in said flanged disk; a membrane over said openin and a cork position, substan ring engaging the inner walls of said flanged disk and holding said membranein posltion, said attachment'bemg operated by movlng the key intoand out of engagement with the flanged disk, substantially as described.

7. A tone modifying attachment inserted between the key and key opening of a reed musical instrument; a tubular member in said opening a flanged disk at the outer end of said tubular member and integral therewith; an opening in said flanged disk; a membrane over said opening; a cork ring engaging the inner walls of said flanged disk and holding said membrane in position, said attachment being operated by moving the key into and out of engagement with the I flanged disk; and a stop member on said instrument adjacent said disk for holding said key out of engagement with said disk, sub stantially as described.

8. A tone modifying attachment inserted between the key and key opening of a reed musical instrument; a tubular member in said projection into and out of engagement with the under side of said key to hold said key disengaged from said flanged disk, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUY B. HUMES.

Witnesses:

JosHUA R. H. POI'IS, JANET E. FARRELL. 

